Cortana: The spy in Windows 10

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    Cortana: The spy in Windows 10

    Cortana: The spy in Windows 10


    Posted: 23 Aug 2016

    Cortana: The spy in Windows 10

    Credit: Pixabay Cortana, Windows 10’s built-in virtual assistant, is both really cool and really creepy

    By Steven J. Vaughan-Nichols

    Computerworld | Aug 15, 2016 4:00 AM PT


    When I first saw Mr. Spock talking to the Enterprise’s computer, I thought it was so cool. I still do. But the more I look at Cortana, Windows 10’s inherent virtual assistant, the more creeped out I get.


    Let’s start with Cortana’s fundamental lust for your data. When it’s working as your virtual assistant it’s collecting your every keystroke and spoken syllable. It does this so it can be more helpful to you. If you don’t like that, well, you’ve got more problems than just Cortana. Google Now and Apple Siri do the same things. And it’s not just virtual assistants; every cloud-based software as a service (SaaS) does this to one degree or another — Google Docs, Office 365, whatever.


    But Cortana doesn’t stop there. With the recently released Windows 10 Anniversary Update, hereafter Windows 10 SP1, you can’t shut Cortana off.


    Maybe you don’t mind Microsoft listening to your every word so it can catch when you say, “Hey, Cortana.” I do. Yes, I want the coolness factor of being able to talk to my computer. But I want the reassurance that it’s not listening when I don’t need it to be. I want a simple on/off switch. Windows 10 SP1 doesn’t have one. This is interesting, though: Windows 10 Education does. Microsoft apparently is willing to respect the privacy of students. The rest of us? Not so much.
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    Night Hawk's Avatar Posted By: Night Hawk
    23 Aug 2016


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    Computerworld - where useless tech journalists go to die
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    z3r010 said:
    Computerworld - where useless tech journalists go to die
    Could not agree more...just page filling rubbish
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       #5

    Although I'm not particularly keen on the tone of the article, the request for a simple Cortana on/off switch like they had before and the advice to not install Windows with 'Express Settings' seems reasonable.

    Cortana has respected my settings and remained off for me after the AU update though, therefore I don't have the Cortana Notepad icon in the Start Menu Search. So I guess I'll have to cross this bridge when I format my machine next.

    Cortana: The spy in Windows 10-cortana.png
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       #6

    Make sure you're properly attired
    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails Cortana: The spy in Windows 10-tinfoil-hat.jpg  
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       #7

    RobNJ said:
    Make sure you're properly attired

    By all means counter the points made by the author in the article. However to try to belittle and mock people who care about their privacy and take an interest in exactly what data is being collected and what happens to data collected is of no use to anyone.
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    The link is to Computerworld the Information is junk by definition
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       #9

    ARC1020 said:
    Although I'm not particularly keen on the tone of the article, the request for a simple Cortana on/off switch like they had before and the advice to not install Windows with 'Express Settings' seems reasonable.

    Cortana has respected my settings and remained off for me after the AU update though, therefore I don't have the Cortana Notepad icon in the Start Menu Search. So I guess I'll have to cross this bridge when I format my machine next.

    Cortana: The spy in Windows 10-cortana.png
    A friend and his wife who both saw their laptops upgraded from 8.1 love the voice command option while I simply put Cortana on the disabled list from the start. I still haven't gotten around to removing the icon off of the taskbar however since the RS1 update went on.

    Barman58 said:
    The link is to Computerworld the Information is junk by definition
    I wouldn't say everything from Computerworld is "junk science" but this 3rd party Tech Connect source raises some eye brows however. A number of junk blogs seem to be page fillers there. Other blogs they have link to Infoworld and PC World articles no longer seen going by how those were dated.
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